Ministers endorse proposed model to give effect to the National Policy on Match Fixing in Sport

Page last updated: 30 October 2013

Australia's Sport Ministers today took the next steps in the fight to combat match fixing and protect the integrity of sport.

At the Meeting of Sport and Recreation Ministers in Melbourne, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers endorsed a proposed model to give effect to the National Policy on Match-Fixing in Sport as agreed at their June meeting and agreed to refer the model to their Cabinets or relevant Ministers for consideration and implementation.

Ministers agreed to take a legislative and administrative framework to their Cabinets to give effect to the National Policy's key elements:

Sporting organisations/event organisers can apply to the relevant state and territory regulator to become sports controlling bodies and enter into Integrity Agreements with betting agencies;

where Integrity Agreements exist, regulators will set the baseline parameters for bet types/events but a sports controlling body, under the Integrity Agreement, may exercise a right of veto on bet types within those parameters;

where there is no recognised sporting organization or event organiser, state and territory gaming regulators will continue to be responsible for all betting approvals on that event; and

all sporting organisations which receive government funding will be required to meet integrity benchmarks as agreed under the National Policy.

Sport Ministers also received an update from the working group developing nationally consistent criminal offences which will be considered by Attorneys-General and Justice Ministers in November.

The meeting was also given an update on Australia's participation in international developments to combat match fixing.

Ministers instructed officers to do further work on a number of outstanding issues for their consideration at their next meeting:

The application of the National Policy to competitions and events that have no domestic body which exercises control over players and officials;

arrangements for the identification of sports controlling bodies in cases where there are both national bodies and local governing bodies;

the arrangements for assessing a sport's compliance with integrity measures to allow them to be recognised as sport controlling bodies;

arrangements for assisting sports, especially smaller sports, to improve their integrity measures and to comply with the National Policy; and

funding options to support the National Policy.

Ministers also considered the important issue of water safety and Ministers endorsed a set of best practice principles on water safety to address the concerning number of Australians drowning and agreed to refer the principles to their Cabinet or relevant Minsters for consideration and implementation. The principles, based on the Australian Water Safety Council's Australian Water Safety Strategy 2008-2011, are an important step in reducing drownings.

Ministers agree to report back on their implementation at the next meeting.

Ministers agreed on a work plan for three priority areas - increased participation, success in international competition and strong national sporting competition.

Ministers approved a discussion paper which outlines better ways to utilise sport and active recreation as vehicles for social change in urban and remote Indigenous communities.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority gave Ministers a detailed briefing about developments in the fight against doping and preparations in the lead-up to the 2012 London Games.

Ministers were also provided with an update on early preparations for the 2015 Asian Cup (football) and 2015 Cricket World Cup.